Retro hints cleverly reworked for a new audience. The style of the Lancia Ypsilon is original and appealing.

Suffice it to say that it was inspired by the unforgettable Lancia Ardea. The shape has been creatively re-interpreted and the car has been adapted to present-day handling needs. The result is a car with an original profile, fully in keeping with new demands for a softer, more sensual and feminine shape. The most striking thing of all is the unmistakeable Lancia sense of breeding. 

First and foremost, the sculpted front end offers attractive proportions and is dominated by a large vertical grille that communicates a sense of superiority and class. The imposing, distinctive motif is destined to become an obligatory reference for Lancia designers from the Thesis and Phedra onward. The light clusters are gem-like and clean-shaped in line with the new brand style philosophy. 

The car's clean-cut looks are also apparent from the side and rear. The compact, beautifully proportioned body features elongated sides marked by a stylish horizontal line of great visual impact. This styling motif runs along the length of the car, over the wheelarches, to form a conceptual link between front and rear. This seamless appearance makes the Lancia Ypsilon look compact and safe yet also thrusting and ready to pounce. 

Lancia motifs are again apparent at the rear, where tall upright taillights enclose a tailgate with a finely balanced mix of metal and glass. The overall impression of a solid, protective car is increased by a styling strategy that causes the lines of the rear end to converge on a single imaginary focal point situated low down behind the Ypsilon. 

Big front and rear bumpers increase the impression that the car is standing on a solid base. Compared to the Lancia Y, the Ypsilon is thus apparently more imposing, more up-to-date, more involving and more appealing.

This description sums up the exterior design of the new model, a shape that reflects the highly distinctive motifs of Lancia's new look that first appeared on the Dialogos prototype and came to fruition on the Thesis and then the Phedra. 

The same consistency of styling makes the interior an emotionally involving environment, a true lounge yet also an up-to-date and functional interior to assure an extremely comfortable trip for driver and passengers alike. 

These sensations are aided by painstaking attention to details. This is evident in the use of top-quality, sturdy materials initially designed for the boat-building industry. Sophisticated, stylish colour matches have also been created between body and interior trim shades to allow customers myriad customisation opportunities. An impressive total of 555 combinations is obtained by matching shades, fabrics, materials and alloy wheels from the Accessory range.